Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an exciting assortment of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.